


False Binary

by messier51



Series: Tired Tropes [13]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alien Castiel, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Captivity, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Non-Angel Castiel, Non-Human Castiel, POV Castiel, Programming Humans, Science Experiments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-26 18:44:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7585720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/messier51/pseuds/messier51
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel studies specimens of all types of recently harvested matter-based life forms. The newest, who call themselves humans, are useful if troublesome. Castiel hopes to learn something from the newest malfunctioning specimen he's got for observation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	False Binary

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [tired tropes](http://messier51.tumblr.com/post/120138934007/ceeainthereforthat-defilerwyrm-why-settle) prompt: "Alas, I am but a robot and have not been programmed to Feel."

Castiel disengaged inhibitor_1 once he’d let the new specimen complete its designated path into room number 7. It would, like the others, be able to move under it’s own motor control at that point. It would walk to each of the walls, maybe touch them. Sometimes they would cry out. Sometimes they would speak, plead, beg, or pray. Each would eventually stop, and find a place along one of the walls, and give up.

They’d culled another entire planet of its organics and re-purposed them. The only natural resource that’s impossible to produce synthetically: life. And organic life is cheap. Self-replicating, even, and easily converted to any job that needed doing.

Castiel made a life’s work of studying various organic machines. These particular creatures were complex, but elegant enough. Not too difficult to emulate. Not too difficult to communicate with even, despite the limitations and flaws of their vibrational language, but the neural implants they used to actuate any given set of inhibitors could be used to communicate more clearly, if not as elegantly.

There were times when the language of a species could provide more interesting results than direct communication. That seemed to be the case with these creatures.

Specimen 729 did not, like the others, case its cell physically. Instead, it remained in the very center of the room, staring straight ahead, in a posture of what appeared to be defiance.

Outliers give opportunity for more study. Castiel saved a copy of his self-image before projecting himself as a prior specimen’s likeness into the cell. Still no discernible response.

Specimen 729’s records come up, washed across Castiel’s consciousness, when he requests them. The specimen is noted to be volatile, painful to ride, and difficult to use for physical labor. None of these things surprise Castiel, they are in aggregate, probably the reason the specimen was sent to R&D in the first place. What is surprising is the note that a second inhibitor-controller has been installed on this device. Inhibitor_2, as noted, specifically targets secondary and emotionally driven will-based behavior, as a backup for the primary and rationally driven will-based inhibitor_1.

Specimen 729 was, in other words, entirely useless for Castiel’s larger study. But there were other uses for an interesting specimen, too.

Castiel did not remove his (as they called themselves) human-shaped projection from the room before disengaging the secondary inhibitor. The specimen charged.

\--

Three days of scheduled interactions and observations provided plenty of interesting results. It also provided nothing useful for further development. The others in his research group think this pursuit is fruitless and should be terminated.

They also wanted to take all of the antiresponsive specimens and donate them to the adjacent research group for serial testing. The new inhibitor their colleagues developed was supposed to neurolink a specimen like 729 to a properly responsive one. This meant only the primary subject needed to be properly programmed, and any subsequent specimens in the circuit would be slaved to the primary’s will.

Though a tidy solution, it left Castiel feeling uneasy.

Specimen 729 reacted positively to certain stimuli, especially digestibles. When Castiel brought certain treats, 729 would talk while eating.

On day four, when Castiel provides 729 with its peace offering the specimen asks, “You’re not really wearing him, are you?”

729 reaches out and runs a forelimb through Castiel’s projected form. It bobs its head, and backs off to enjoy the treat it procured. Castiel feels moved to speak directly to his subject for the first time.

“Would it cause you less distress if I were in possession of a full form instead of this projection?”

“Oh, so you talk?” Specimen 729 says, leaving its food on the floor and moving back to face Castiel. “Not just a creepy watcher?”

_Non-answer_ , Castiel notes. Then adds, _continued interaction is foolish due to lack of control, but the risk may be worthwhile for potential information gains. Will maintain discourse unless subject shows severe aggression._

“I talk. I also watch. Do you prefer talking?”

Specimen 729 runs a hand across its head. Castiel makes his projection mimic the motion in attempt to forge commonality.

“It’s less weird than talking to myself I guess. I don’t suppose you’re allowed to tell me anything useful?”

“What would you like to know?”

“You can start off with where my brother is.” Specimen 729’s words were the audible equivalent of his initial physically violent outburst. Castiel should have reinstated the secondary inhibitor.

Castiel noted his decision to continue the experiment in his logfile, and asked, “What’s a brother?”

“ _My_ brother. My family? Sam Winchester--we were together when you abducted us or whatever. We’re related. Which cage did you stick him in?”

“We have no record of that,” Castiel said. “But we don’t record your personal identifiers. Even if your brother were here, I couldn’t tell you where.”

Dean leaned back against the wall for the first time since he’d been put into the cell.

“Could you, maybe, put my name into your records then? So that he could find me.”

\--

Six days into the experiment, Castiel arrives to find his boss observing Dean.

“There you are,” Chuck says. He could’ve requested Castiel’s presence if it had been required. Or found him easily enough--their private lab network isn’t encrypted.

Castiel doesn’t bother with a response. He shifts through his notes, wondering what might have caught the big boss’s attention.

“Your research here is dangerous,” Chuck prompts.

“I have kept D-, the specimen properly secured. His anomalous behavior has been closely monitored. I have found the exercise highly educational.”

“Castiel,” Chuck says sharply, and levels the full weight of his attention towards his target. “If your results were to be disseminated, certain rebellious groups and their _freedom for humans_ campaigns would use them to cause widespread panic and potentially even a full-scale production shutdown. We require carbon-based lifeforms to maintain the level of living comfort we’re used to. The possibility that they might be sentient shouldn’t be enough to endanger our way of life. Do you understand?”

“Yes….sir?”

“If it helps, your experiment was scheduled to be terminated in order to test your unruly specimen here under serial controls. This way we can move him over earlier. You’re dismissed.”

Chuck initiates a series of procedures to wipe Castiel’s research from the mainframe, and re-engages inhibitor_2.

Castiel stops himself from projecting into the room with Dean to explain what’s going on. _It won’t matter that the bond of trust he’s built up with his subject is going to be broken_ , he tells himself. He won’t be working with Dean anymore. The Dean he’s learned more and more about each day they’ve worked together disappears slowly, as his emotions and motivations are damped out altogether. What Castiel sees in the room before him is a hollow shell of the human that had been there.

Castiel turns away.

\--

Castiel makes a single note in his personal log file: _Maybe the protesters Chuck mentioned have more information._

\--

Castiel pushes the human body through the maze of the large bay laboratory hallways. He just has to get out of here before anyone notices…

_It’s a terrible thing, to ride a sentient being_.

He can apologize later. He didn’t have a choice, this was the only way.

_One is not enough_.

But this one may hold the key. He needs it to be this one. He doesn’t have enough time to explain to himself why.

_He already knows why_.

\--

The human body is unresponsive for a moment after Castiel disconnects his electrical impulses in the safety of one of Gabriel’s net-dark hidey holes.

Then it breathes, and opens its beautiful gold and green eyes. Castiel thinks that it might have been worthwhile. Except…

Castiel checks again. Inhibitor_1 is disengaged, but inhibitor_2 is stuck in place. Permanently burned into place, as far as Castiel can see. He tries anyway. Maybe he’s wrong.

“Dean, can you hear me?”

“Cas, is that you?” Dean’s voice is flat, but his memory is intact. It’s something.

“Dean, everything is going to be okay now. I’m going to find your brother. I have a friend, he knows a way. You’re free now, and we’re going to change the world.”

“Cas, I… something is wrong.” Dean looks into Castiel’s projected eyes. They’re shining blue light, Castiel knows now. The other humans have told him how nice they look.

“We’re going to help you.”

“Cas, I think I’m supposed to be angry with you. And I should care more about Sam. What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I feel anything?”

Cas almost believes, for a fraction of a second, that there’s hurt and anger and fear in Dean’s eyes. He’s fooling himself, though.

Instead of facing Dean, Cas leaves. The other humans will do a better job of taking care of him. Cas has a new objective now: Find Sam Winchester.


End file.
